The character contingency.

Abstract

This thesis is a collection of short stories prefaced by an aesthetic statement. The stories themselves deal with characters and their struggles with their own shortcomings. The characters have to come to terms with their new knowledge about themselves, or deny the knowledge entirely. The preface discusses how best to make a character appear mimetically real. I outline first the position of the self-reflexive author, which states that such a thing is impossible. I then discuss the position of the mimetic author and the way limited use of authorial intrusion achieves a textual reality. I substantiate this claim with examples from several texts. To conclude, I discuss the concept of character interdependence and the reasons for which I view it as an author's best means of showing a multi-faceted character. Examples from my own work substantiate the point.